What Needs to be Done in the Improvement of Adult Education?

Changes in society, changes in education policy and increasing interest in the need for lifelong learning also bring with them the need for professional development of adult educators (Jogi, Gross 2009, 229). As Sava and Lupou (2009, 2228) also point out, in order to ensure both quantitative growth and qualitative progress of adult learning activities, well-qualified personnel are needed to professionally support adults in their learning. 

In order to increase the quality of the adult education profession in the EU, the current situation, trends and issues have been determined by a study called Adult Learning Professions in Europe (ALPINE) (Research voor Beleid and Plato, 2008). In another study, basic qualifications were determined in order to develop a reference framework of basic qualifications for professionals working in the field of adult education in the EU (Research voor Beleid, 2010). 

The Importance of Improvement in Adult Education
Adult education benefits the job market, but is also extremely beneficial to individuals who decide to re-enter education.Adult education's primary purpose is to enable people to expand existing skills and abilities and acquire new ones.While expanding their knowledge and skill set, they can also expand their career prospects. And such adult education also teaches the students how to put their skills and knowledge into practical use. It provides adults with a chance to retrain in the wake of the economic crisis, which is crucial for those who may need to work into retirement age and want support to learn for a new role. What is more,adult education provides the important social function of providing individuals with the willpower and creativity to overcome challenges with a way of discovering themselves.

Adult Education Strategy

According to the OECD (2019), there are some strategy which needs to be done to achieve the desired goal of adult education, as it follows: 

• Adults who are at risk of falling behind in adapting to digital transformation should be reached and trained in accordance with the requirements of the labor market. Policies should aim to provide career guidance aimed at addressing skills shortages and improving the quality of education. 
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• Digital tools should be used to improve and increase the skills of the people participating in the training. Digital tools give individuals a perspective on what, when, how and where they can learn, and also allow them to be flexible and fast. The active use of digital tools in education will also increase participation in education. 
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• New standards should be developed to define the acquired skills, and a new accreditation mechanism should be developed, since non-certified training limits the value of the skills gained when changing jobs or starting a new education. For example; The detailed inclusion of the training received in micro credentials provides a more accurate and effective assessment of skills. 
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• Incentives should be provided to employers and participants in order to increase participation in training. 
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• Since increasing the participation rate in education will benefit everyone, the financial burden that this will bring should be met in a common denominator with the cooperation of employers, individuals and the state.

For this purpose, we are carrying out the iPath2Upskilling project. The project, which aimed for a holistic approach, identified the needs of staff who support adult learners to have at hand, integrated into one, all necessary means to help the low-skilled and low-qualified adults throughout their upskilling path to increase their competitiveness and adaptability in the labor market. The overarching objective of the project is to provide these professionals with the integrated and innovative iPath2UpSkilling Platform and Programme, as well as the specialized skills needed to use it, in order to ensure high quality upskilling routes for the low-skilled and low-qualified adults. 

You can visit our website to learn more about the project:  https://ipath2upskilling.net/en/

Reference: 

(https://ceko.sakarya.edu.tr/sites/ceko.sakarya.edu.tr/file/11_Gelecegin_Meslekleri_ve_Dijital_Beceriler_____Nazan_BUDAK2.pdf )

(https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/441256)